Ski day, Easter & Sun burn

It’s been a fairly normal week. What did suck about it was that I only got good Friday off! No Easter Monday or Tuesday for me! This is a true sign of being in the big bad world! On Friday I made dinner for the family I’m staying with and a couple of friends which seemed to be a success as there was not a lot let over. We then went to church and to the cinema with some friends from up north. Saturday and Sunday was very relaxed didn’t do much apart from go to church. On Monday Muskoka Woods had a ski day for all guests, staff and alumni. It was an hour north of Toronto outside Barrie. It was a good time no bones were broken. However I didn’t get sun burnt and we got stuck in lots of traffic on the 400 due to an accident which held us up for well over an hour. I’m going up north for a meeting tomorrow and then working from the office up there and coming back down the road on Saturday afternoon. It’s always nice to spend time at camp and not have to work rec staff!

Here’s to “I’ll bust your britches!”, The Easter bunny forgetting to come, Molly letting me put her pajamas on her without crying!, Going on Emma’s (the 5 year old) field trip with her- we’re going to a maple syrup farm should be good times had by all, bad mental images, Cadburys popping mini eggs, to Molly dipping her pasta and chicken into her orange juice before eating it, "what was i thinking? a t shirt and a suede jacket! I might as well be naked!", and to"and I was sick, I knew I was sick because there was sick beside me"
Pictures: Top- Lisa, myself and Megan. Bottom- Kate, Roise and Jordan. Taken at the ski day. All people I work with.

Walks, talks & lake views

Things are ticking along nicely. Work is good picking up rightly and getting busy. I took the opportunity to explore my local area by foot the other day. Now that it is starting to heat up a tad it was a lot more pleasurable. Where I am living its less than a five minute walk to Lake Ontario. You can see right across to the states from the cliffs. It will be a great place to go walking once the ground dries up a bit more. And hopefully not just walking as I officially today started my running season [My running season being from when it snows until it stops snowing!] I needed to post a couple of letters so I decided to run to the post office a couple of kilometers away. All was well my new trainers were fine but it is still mighty cold, will will be nice to not have to dress warm to go running- Bring on Spring and Summer!!

Here’s to Facebook scrabble, dreams of traveling out west with Emma, “Not dat way waychel, not dat way!”, Emma asking me to go on her class trip with her, to Monday night chat time, "Shrek babies" the roof falling through in Paul and Lisa’s bedroom,“You couldn’t get any less Irish…”, working from home, to cooking on Good Friday, writing letters, the extremely bad waiter at the pickle barrel, going to Rainforest café for Montana’s birthday, celebrating St Patrick’s day with Rosie and Kate and to running out of petrol due to the petrol light deciding not to work!

New year's reading

For the longest time now I’ve wanted to become a reader. I think it’s a good thing to be able to sit down and read instead of movies and tv. Inspired by avid readers my parents and my dear friend Emma [Miss you Ems]. I have decided to make myself read. My goal is one book a month. So far I’m on target with my 3rd book. I have read the Kite Runner, We need to talk about Kevin and my current book is The boy in the striped Pajama’s. The next two books that I have lined up for April and May are the curious incident of the dog in the night and my sister’s keeper. I’ll be buying my 6th book at Toronto Airport in June just before I fly home!! I even know that it will be a thousand splendid suns by the same guy that wrote the kite runner. Hopefully ill over achieve and read more than 12 books this year. There is nothing better than sitting by an open fire, with some candles and classic fm in the back ground reading a good book!

In like a lion, out like a lamb

We have had some wicked snow storms of late. One is currently coming to an end. Out my bedroom window there is currently over 3 feet of snow. When I first moved in I could see the cars driving past. I’m told winter will be over soon. I really hope so I’m sick of the cold, wet feet, and climbing over mounds of snow. I was up north again last weekend. Always a good time. Lindsay is now working up there again so it’s nice to spend time with her and everyone else. We are organising our annual golf tournament this May (on my birthday). I was up north looking into golfer gifts and sponsorship with some of the local businesses. Work is going well; I’m currently working on our scholarship program. Last year we had 33 applications and this year we have 55. This is the first major responsibility I have in my job so it’s nice to be over target and to beat last year. I have a few meetings this week to discuss the applications. I was representing the Foundation the past couple of days at an event called ‘Missionfest’. Where lots of Christian organisations are represented. It was a good time to network and let other people know what Muskoka Woods is all about.

Here's to "sure", Taking Cameron out on Tuesday night to look for tech decks, "If that accent got any thicker you could walk on it!", people watching at Missionfest, starting house season 2, "It's called a head ache!!", taking 2.5 hours to get home in the snowstorm from missionfest, playing tickle monster, "or no?", meals out with friends, to ending up knee deep in snow getting pizza for Emma's party, heading up north again on Monday and to the woman helping herself so all our chocolate!

Wedding, ice rain and river

I hate not blogging that often as it means I can never remember what has happened. Work is picking up. I’ve been given some good direction over the past week or so and I’m finally past the stage of always asking what I can do.
I was out last night at a restaurant called River, it’s where I am holding our annual autumn event. It is a place where all the workers from chef to waiters come from an underprivileged background. The idea of River is to train them and give them an experience and an opportunity to further themselves. I was very pleased with the place its very sharp with great character and the food was really good. So I’m happy with my choice esp as I had booked it before I had ever been!

I was up north at my old bosses Braden and Yetunde’s wedding. It was great to see them and hang out with them the days running up to their wedding. Driving was interesting we stayed at a cottage which was well off the beaten track and on a lake. There was ice rain on Saturday so driving there was actually like driving on a wet ice rink! It took me 45 mins to drive what should have been 5 minutes. But better to be late then end up in a snow bank! We went for brunch at Braden’s parent’s house the morning after the wedding. It literally felt like I was driving to the ends of the earth, driving along snow roads and through forests and lakes.

Here’s to the African party, “I’ve been told I need to listen to that girl talk”, spinning my car on the ice, “CLAY PIGEON SHOTING!!!”, Molly finally starting to acknowledge me, high tailing out of a 25/40 group, “win a date with kate!”, getting addicted to Mario brothers, having the Brushetts over for dinner, Sabrina trying to carry the cat, going ice skating and not falling but Emma (5) skating faster than me!, Sandra not understanding when I said marathon, to starting to watch House, “Do you smell ham?”, the middle bit of my car breaking, Yetunde laughing at my anger of the middle part of my car breaking!, and to “and you would kill a puppy with a baseball bat?!”

Picture: The road to Bradens house. I drove for 30 minutes it felt ike the ends of the earth. Was very freaky for some reason when I stopped the car and got out to take pictures. I dont think I have ever felt as far from home as I did durng those few moments.

Books, hockey and pizza

The Kite runner: read it- I’m not going to lie to you it may rip your heart out several times. However a great book. I finished it on Friday afternoon and went and watched the film that night. The film was
good but I felt they rushed the ending. If
you have only watched the movie you NEED to read the book. There is so much more detail and feeling.

Here’s to going to watch Cameron’s hockey game and freezing!, making my first cake, flying home on 2nd June for a few weeks!, (red) cards, my 24 poster finally staying up, to going to Boston pizza for Trish’s birthday, calling that we would be taken out for lunch on Trish’s birthday, "always a pleasure never a chore", getting my health card and sin number, the Brushetts coming for dinner, to David doodling, both doors of my car freezing shut!, "for you a thousand times over", tickle monster, learning to play poker, the basement nearly being finished, and to the day I never have to write another critical path!

Pictures: Cameron playing hockey- he's the one in blue closet to the left side. Then lisa [friend, co worker and landlord] and I.

First Cake I ever made!

I made my first ever cake for a friend at works birthday! Everyone was most impressed when they learnt I made it from scratch!

The great white North

I was up north to camp with Lisa and Lissa on fri-sat. Lisa works at the Foundation with me and Lissa is a producer and director. We went up to film some of the activities, hit up some places for sponsorship for the golf tournament and to interview some rec staff for this year’s donor report. My main interest for going up was to see everybody I’m not going to lie!! We left against the recommendation of the weatherman at 9am however the roads were not that bad. I took the white beast up the road to test her out. I was happy to discover she did not shake once she hit motorway speed! Was pretty sweet once I hit camp to have four wheel drive.

Today I learnt to skate. Paul is very happy, I progressed from using a support that the 5 year of the family uses, to skating with a stick and puck! I have a fair wee way to go as the 7 year old can skate rings round me! Apparently I’m half way to being a Canadian now! -NEVER!

I also went to church this morning; I find it very hard not to compare it with Ballynahinch Baptist. The church is the first of a few I’m trying. It is the closest to where I live. There was approx 50-60 people. The worship was good but I found the speaker hard to follow. They didn’t have many people my age and not much for me to get involved in, which is what I’m looking for most right now in a church besides a sound speaker and worship. I want to find some good fellowship in my localish area.

Ireland vs Canada:
- When you park your car at the side of the road you have to climb over a giant lump of snow to reach the pavement!
- Cream is not marked as specifically as it is at home. I had to try 3 different kinds today before I found the right one!
- In Canada a handbag is a purse, milk comes in a bag and purple skittles are grape flavor rather than berry

Here’s to “Mummy now we have 5 kids in our family!”, catch up chats, reading the kite runner, stopping at 4 different restaurants in Barrie to end up eating at Wendy’s because everywhere was so busy!, Lindsay deciding to go back up and work at the woods, “You will have take my mums car as your car doesn’t fit all the kids”, Molly’s coat and hat that make her look like Lucy from Narina or straight from the 1800’s!, "I'm cool like that!", to Bent River being closed, playing with sticklebrick (brought back some good childhood memories!) Wales beating England, “You lied to me!”, wrestling/snow fight with Matt Pearce outside Ferndale, Going tubing but not tubing, "If somethng was big how would you describe it?", playing settlers cities and knights, “Alright mucker!” , Molly (2) still not giving me the time of day and its been over a month! and to “Just stick a candle in an apple!"

Pictures: Top right is camp, then Cameron with half the street playing hockey and then me looking like I am a confident hockey player!